DANZIG

News comes from Geneva that the League of Nations, attempting to rectify the mistake made by the framers of the Versailles Treaty when they stipulated that Danzig should be considered as an international city, has given Poland military control of the district.

That is only what should have been done long ago. Poland, aside from the fact that she needs a seaport of her own in order to thrive commercially, has certain legal jurisdictions over the city, and also the right to improve the harbor, waterfront, railways, and the other public utilities that she may find it necessary to use. But she cannot enforce her laws nor carry out her improvements unless she possesses some means by which she may force her authority. The glaring fault of internationalism as applied to cities was shown at the time of the Red drive on Poland, when the German stevedores and dock workers in Danzig struck, and held up ammunition and supplies needed by the Polish Army. The Poles threatened, Sir Reginald Tower, official administrator, pleaded with the strikers, but to no avail. For a time the situation was critical.

Contingencies such as this are bound to occur whenever there is a division of power or authority. The League, in giving to Poland the prerogative of using her army to keep the peace, has don the only thing possible to prevent Danzig from becoming a perpetual stew-pot of international differences.